How to verify a Chinese factory before buying

The main risk of sourcing from China is not the shipping itself but an unreliable supplier: the prepayment is gone and the goods are missing or the quality is wrong. Here is how to verify a factory before the deal.

1. Registration and licenses

A real factory is a legal entity with a business license, export rights and production capacity. We check the registration details, how long the company has operated, that the name on the invoice matches the contract, and the real production address.

2. Samples and a test order

Before a large batch we take samples and, if needed, place a small test order. This reveals the real quality, packaging and how well the supplier keeps to agreed timelines.

3. On-site inspection

Because we have our own office in Guangzhou, we visit the factory in person: we look at the line, warehouse and quality control, check documents and send photo and video reports. This cannot be done remotely.

4. Signs of an intermediary, not a factory

• an overly broad range of unrelated products;
• reluctance to show production or provide samples;
• payment details registered to a private individual;
• a price noticeably below market with no clear reason.

5. How we do it

We take the checks on ourselves: we find the factory, review documents, obtain samples, visit production when needed and control the batch before shipment. The commission is a fixed 10% of the goods value.